Chen Yan, Kou Xiaodan, Zou Jing, Chen Peng, Liu Junfeng, Gu Yanru, Zhuang Min, Xiao Hongtao, Li Yuying, Lu Man, Qin Shugang
Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610000, China.
Department of Respiratory Critical Care, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
Theranostics. 2026 Jan 14;16(7):3892-3911. doi: 10.7150/thno.128658. eCollection 2026.
THz technology is expected to provide breakthroughs for precision oncology due to its physical nature, such as non-ionizing radiation nature, sensitivity to water and fingerprint recognition. Yet, its clinical application is severely limited due to their drawbacks: shallow penetration depth, difficult interpretation and sensitivity. This review examines recent interdisciplinary advances that integrate THz technology with materials science, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), computational modeling, gene editing, and microfluidics to develop intelligent diagnostic and therapeutic systems capable of supporting the full oncology continuum-from tumor imaging and biomarker detection to treatment monitoring and drug delivery assessment. For example, combining THz with metamaterials or nanostructures enhances sensitivity for trace-level biomarker detection; AI algorithms enable rapid, accurate interpretation of complex spectral data for automated diagnosis; and convergence with microfluidics and CRISPR-based systems has led to ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy platforms. These integrated approaches not only address existing technical barriers but also open pathways toward multifunctional theranostic systems with practical clinical utility. By fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, THz technology can be further optimized to enable more accurate, effective, and personalized cancer care, transforming its potential from foundational research into real-world clinical impact.
太赫兹技术因其物理特性，如非电离辐射特性、对水的敏感性和指纹识别能力，有望为精准肿瘤学带来突破。然而，由于其缺点，如穿透深度浅、难以解读和敏感性问题，其临床应用受到严重限制。本综述探讨了近期的跨学科进展，这些进展将太赫兹技术与材料科学、纳米技术、人工智能（AI）、计算建模、基因编辑和微流控技术相结合，以开发能够支持整个肿瘤学连续过程的智能诊断和治疗系统——从肿瘤成像和生物标志物检测到治疗监测和药物递送评估。例如，将太赫兹与超材料或纳米结构相结合可提高对痕量生物标志物检测的灵敏度；人工智能算法能够快速、准确地解读复杂的光谱数据以实现自动化诊断；与微流控技术和基于CRISPR的系统相结合已产生了超灵敏的液体活检平台。这些综合方法不仅解决了现有的技术障碍，还为具有实际临床应用价值的多功能诊疗系统开辟了道路。通过促进跨学科合作，太赫兹技术可以得到进一步优化，以实现更准确、有效和个性化的癌症护理，将其潜力从基础研究转化为实际的临床影响。
